Nutrition In the Raw

This week I've been fascinated by raw foods. I was inspired by a gift one of my Pilates students gave me last week, Raw & Gluten-Free Granola Nut Bars! They were very tasty and you can find them here http://www.twomomsintheraw.com/. Then today another student mentioned that she loves making Chia Pudding and Chia Beverages. I found the following Halloween themed recipe online. I picked up some Chia Seeds from Whole Foods, but I have not tried any recipes yet. Perhaps after I bring home a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch and carve it on Wednesday afternoon. There was another recipe I found online that said you can use any 1 cup of liquid to 3 tbsp chia seeds to make chia pudding. I imagine for chia beverages, you would just add more liquid... kind of like a "bubble drink", but probably better for you. Here is an article by Dr.Weil about the nutritional benefits of Chia Seeds. Enjoy! http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA365093/Chia-for-Health.html

Pumpkin Chia Pudding (serves 1)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 almond milk + extra almond milk
Stevia to taste
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
Mix all ingredients together. Wait for it to gel, stirring every few moments. As you go, eyeball it to see how much extra almond milk it needs. It may need a few tablespoons; it may need 1/3 cup more. It’s hard to predict! As soon as the texture matches what you like, the pudding is ready to serve.

http://www.choosingraw.com/pumpkin-chia-pudding/